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VOICESERVE, INC. EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Equity Incentive Plan Agreement

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This Equity Incentive Plan Agreement involves

VOICESERVE, INC

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Title: VOICESERVE, INC. EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Governing Law: Delaware     Date: 5/12/2009
Industry: Communications Services     Sector: Services

VOICESERVE, INC. EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN, Parties: voiceserve  inc
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Exhibit 10.1

 

 

VOICESERVE, INC.

EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.            Purpose . The purpose of the plan is to provide incentives to attract, retain and motivate eligible persons whose present and potential contributions are important to the success of VOICESERVE, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), by offering them an opportunity to participate in the Company’s future performance through awards of Options and Restricted Stock. Capitalized terms not defined in the text are defined in Section 22.

 

2.            Shares Subject to the Plan; Per-Person Award Limitation.

 

2.1            Number of Shares Available . Subject to Sections 2.2 and 17, the total number of Shares reserved and available for grant and issuance pursuant to the Plan shall be Two Million (2,000,000) Shares. Subject to Sections 2.2 and 17, Shares shall again be available for grant and issuance in connection with future Awards under the Plan that: (a) are subject to issuance upon exercise of an Option but cease to be subject to such Option for any reason other than exercise of such Option; (b) are subject to an Award granted hereunder but are forfeited; or (c) are subject to an Award that otherwise terminates without Shares being issued. Subject to Sections 2.2 and 17, in no event shall the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to incentive stock options exceed Two Million (2,000,000) Shares.

 

2.2            Adjustment of Shares . In the event that the number of outstanding Shares is changed by a stock dividend, recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, subdivision or similar change in the capital structure of the Company without consideration, then: (a) the number of Shares reserved for issuance under the Plan; (b) the Exercise Prices of and number of Shares subject to outstanding Options; and (c) the number of Shares subject to other outstanding Awards shall be proportionately adjusted, subject to any required action by the Board or the shareholders of the Company and in compliance with applicable securities laws.

 

2.3            Individual Award Limitation . Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, and in addition to any requirements of this Plan, the maximum number of Shares granted hereunder to any one Participant may not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total Shares subject to the Plan (subject to adjustments as provided in Sections 2.2 and 17 hereof).

 

3. Eligibility.

 

3.1 General . All Awards set forth herein may be granted to employees, officers, directors, consultants and advisors of the Company or Affiliate of the Company, provided such consultants and advisors render bona fide services not in connection with the offer and sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction. A person may be granted more than one Award under the Plan.

 

 

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4. Administration.

 

4.1 Compensation Committee . The Plan shall be administered by a committee ("Committee") appointed by the Company's Board of Directors. The membership of the Committee shall be constituted so as to comply at all times with the then applicable requirements for “outside directors” of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and Section 162(m) of the Code. Any determination made by the Committee with respect to any Award shall be made in its sole discretion at the time of grant of the Award or, unless in contravention of any express term of the Plan or Award, at any later time, and such determination shall be final and binding on the Company and all persons having an interest in any Award under the Plan.

 

4.2 Committee Authority . Subject to the general purposes, terms and conditions of the Board, the Committee shall have full power to implement and carry out the Plan. The Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the authority to make recommendations to grant an Award under the Plan to Participants who are not Insiders of the Company. The Committee shall have the authority to:

 

 

(a)

construe and interpret the Plan, any Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed pursuant to the Plan;

 

(b)

recommend to the Board amendments to the rules and regulations relating to the Plan;

 

 

(c)

select the persons to receive Awards;

 

(d)

determine the form and terms of Awards;

 

 

(e)

determine the number of Shares or other consideration subject to Awards;

 

(f)

determine whether Awards will be granted singly, in combination, in tandem with, in replacement of, or as alternatives to, other Awards under the Plan or any other incentive or compensation plan of the Company or Affiliate of the Company;

 

 

(g)

determine the granting of certain waivers of Plan or Award conditions;

 

(h)

determine the conditions concerning the vesting, exercisability and payment of Awards;

 

 

(i)

recommend to the Board such matters so as to correct any defect, supply any omission, or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement;

 

(j)

determine whether an Award has been earned; and

 

 

(k)

make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

 

 

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4.3 Exchange Act Requirements . If the Company is subject to the Exchange Act, the Company will take appropriate steps to comply with the disinterested director requirements of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, including but not limited to, the appointment by the Board of a committee consisting of not less than two persons (who are members of the Board), each of whom is a Disinterested Person.

 

4.4 Address of Committee . The Committee’s address to which any correspondence or notifications may be sent or given is:

 

Voiceserve, Inc.

Grosvenor House, 1 High Street

Middlesex England HA8 7TA

Attn:  Chief Executive Officer

 

5. Options . The Committee may grant Options to eligible persons and shall determine whether such Options shall be Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of the Code (“ISO”) or Nonqualified Stock Options (“NQSO”), the number of Shares subject to the Option, the Exercise Price of the Option, the period during which the Option may be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the Option, subject to the following:

 

5.1 Form of Option Grant . Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement which shall expressly identify the Option as an ISO or NQSO (“Stock Option Agreement”), and be in such form and contain such provisions (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee shall from time to time approve, and which shall comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

5.2 Date of Grant . The date of grant of an Option shall be the date on which the Committee makes the determination to grant such Option, unless otherwise specified by the Committee. The Stock Option Agreement and a copy of the Plan will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after the granting of the Option.

 

5.3 Exercise Period . Options shall be exercisable within the times or upon the events determined by the Committee as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement; provided, however, that no Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the Option is granted, and provided further that no Option granted to a person who directly or by attribution owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (“Ten Percent Shareholder”) shall be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date the Option is granted. The Committee also may provide for the Options to become exercisable at one time or from time to time, periodically or otherwise, in such number or percentage as the Committee determines.

 

 

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5.4 Exercise Price . The Exercise Price shall be determined by the Committee when the Option is granted and may be not less than the par value of a Share on the date of grant provided that: (i) the Exercise Price of an ISO shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant; (ii) the Exercise Price of any ISO granted to a Ten Percent Shareholder shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant; and (iii) the Exercise Price of any option granted that the Committee intends to qualify under Section 162(m) of the Code, shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. Payment for the Shares purchased may be made in accordance with Section 7 of the Plan.

 

5.5 Method of Exercise . Options may be exercised only by delivery to the Company of a written stock option exercise agreement (the “Exercise Agreement”) in a form approved by the Committee (which need not be the same for each Participant), stating the number of Shares being purchased, the restrictions imposed on the Shares, if any, and such representations and agreements regarding Participant’s investment intent and access to information and other matters, if any, as may be required or desirable by the Company to comply with applicable securities laws, together with payment in full of the Exercise Price for the number of Shares being purchased.

 

5.6 Termination . Unless otherwise set forth in the Stock Option Agreement, the exercise of an Option shall be subject to the following:

 

(a) If the Participant is Terminated for any reason except death or Disability, then Participant may exercise such Participant’s Options only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable upon the Termination Date no later than three (3) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter time period as may be specified in the Stock Option Agreement), but in any event, no later than the expiration date of the Options.

 

(b) If the Participant is terminated because of death or Disability (or the Participant dies within three (3) months of such termination), then Participant’s Options may be exercised only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable by Participant on the Termination Date and must be exercised by Participant (or Participant’s legal representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter time period as may be specified in the Stock Option Agreement), but in any event no later than the expiration date of the Options; provided, however, that in the event of termination due to Disability other than as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, any ISO that remains exercisable after ninety (90) days after the date of termination shall be deemed a NQSO.

 

5.7 Limitations on Exercise . The Committee may specify a reasonable minimum number of Shares that may be purchased on any exercise of an Option, provided that such minimum number will not prevent Participant from exercising the Option for the full number of Shares for which it is then exercisable.

 

 

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5.8 Modification, Extension or Renewal . The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Options and authorize the grant of new Options in substitution therefore, provided that any such action may not without the written consent of Participant, impair any of Participant’s rights under any Option previously granted. Any outstanding ISO that is modified, extended, renewed or otherwise altered shall be treated in accordance with Section 424(h) of the Code. The Committee may reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding Options without the consent of Participants affected by a written notice to them; provided, however, that the Exercise Price may not be reduced below the minimum Exercise Price that would be permitted under Section 5.4 of the Plan for Options granted on the date the action is taken to reduce the Exercise Price.

 

5.9 No Disqualification . Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan, no term of the Plan relating to ISOs shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify the Plan under Section 422 of the Code or, without the consent of the Participant affected, to disqualify any ISO under Section 422 of the Code.

 

6. Restricted Stock. A Restricted Stock Award is an offer by the Company to sell to an eligible person Shares that are subject to restrictions. The Committee shall determine to whom an offer will be made, the number of Shares the person may purchase, the price to be paid (the “Purchase Price”), the restrictions to which the Shares shall be subject, and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Award, subject to the following:

 

6.1 Form of Restricted Stock Award . All purchases under a Restricted Stock Award made pursuant to the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement (“Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement”) that shall be in such form (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee, shall from time to time approve, and shall comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. The offer of Restricted Stock shall be accepted by the Participant’s execution and delivery of the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement and full payment for the shares to the Company within thirty (30) days from the date the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement is delivered to the person. If such person does not execute and deliver the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement along with full payment for the Shares to the Company within thirty (30) days, then the offer shall terminate, unless otherwise determined by the Committee.

 

6.2 Purchase Price . The Purchase Price of Shares sold pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award shall be determined by the Committee on the date the Restricted Stock Award is granted but shall in no event less than the par value of the Shares. Payment of the Purchase Price may be made in accordance with Section 7 of the Plan.

 

 

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6.3 Restrictions . Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose. The Committee may provide for the lapse of such restrictions in installments and may accelerate or waive such restrictions, in whole or in part, based on length of service, performance or such other factors or criteria as the Committee may determine. Restricted Stock Awards that the Committee intends to qualify under Code section 162(m) shall be subject to a performance-based goal. Restrictions on such stock shall lapse based on one (1) or more of the following performance goals: stock price, market share, sales increases, earning per share, return on equity, cost reductions, or any other similar performance measure established by the Committee. Such performance measures shall be established by the Committee, in writing, no later than the earlier of: (a) ninety (90) days after the commencement of the performance period with respect to which the Restricted Stock award is made; and (b) the date as of which twenty-five percent (25%) of such performance period has elapsed.

 

7. Payment For Share Purchases .

 

7.1 Payment . Payment for Shares purchased pursuant to the Plan may be made in cash (by check) or, where expressly approved for the Participant by the Committee and where permitted by law:

 

 

(a) by cancellation of indebtedness of the Company to the Participant;

 

 

(b) by transfer of Shares that either (1) have been owned by Participant for more than six (6) months and have been paid for within the meaning of SEC Rule 144; or (2) were obtained by Participant in the public market;

 

 

(c) by waiver of compensation due or accrued to Participant for services rendered;

 

 

(d) by tender of property;

 

 

(e) with a promissory note in favor of the Company, which such note shall (1) provide for full recourse to the maker, (2) be collateralized by the pledge of the Shares that the Optionee purchases upon exercise of the Option, (3) bear interest at the prime rate of the Company’s principal lender, and (4) contain such other terms as the Committee in its sole discretion shall reasonably require;

 

 

(f) by a “c


 
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